Composite materials such as carbon fiber composites are manufactured by depositing layers of “prepreg” on a mold, mandrel, or “tool”. This process and the resulting deposit thereof are generally referred to as “layup”, as the prepreg materials are “laid up” onto the mold or tool surface. This process is repeated many times to build up the layers, sequences, or plies, of the final composite laminate. Inspection of the layup of material used in the manufacture of composite parts is often an important part of the manufacturing process. Indeed, layup inspection is a requirement in the aerospace industry due to the necessary structural integrity of the composite parts, which relies upon proper layup (i.e., the specific location and sequence of the plies or tapes of material the part is made from). Government (e.g., the Federal Aeronautics Administration (FAA)) and industry requirements call for verification of proper layup using intermediate, in process inspections, whether the layups are created by hand or by automated equipment (e.g., Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)). Currently all layup inspection in the aerospace industry is performed manually.